Sprout, my new love

That night my 16 ½-year-old dog Arie turned for the worse with seizures. I was with him the whole night, comforting him so he finally slept into the morning.

I already had an appointment with the vet for a checkup which was fortunate. I brought Arie at 9 o’clock to the vet to tell him about our troubles.

The vet mentioned letting Arie go because he was suffering and he was at his end. I agreed without hesitation, although the thought of parting with my dog came as a shock. Within half an hour Arie was gone, laying in front of me on the floor of the vet’s practice.

I went to the vet with a dog and came back into the house empty-handed. I was devastated. I was alone.

But, I was prepared this moment would come.

So, part of my mourning was finding a new dog immediately. I searched online nationwide for an appropriate successor but could not find a suitable one.

Two days later I saw a picture of Vaidoso in a Portuguese shelter on Facebook. A scruffy dog looking into the lens, quite forlorn. There was an instant click. Within minutes of that post, I reacted with my intent to adopt this blond 3-year-old male.

The wheels set in motion.

One and a half months later the day arrived Vaidoso set foot in my country the Netherlands, after 30 hours of traveling by minibus.

He was very scared and anxious, even scruffier than in the photo, but I loved him immediately. He was beautiful!

I put a question on Writing.com: Name this dog, and someone mentioned the name, Sprout. And that was it, Sprout was in my life to stay.

That was 14 months ago. I love Sprout to bits. He is doing great although still somewhat anxious. But we are a team. And I am no longer alone. Who rescued whom?


WC:316

Featured in "Romance/Love Newsletter (June 28, 2023)" 
Published in Dogs Today Magazine 07/12/2023